Next Chapter
by klutzysunshine
Summary: Nine months after Harm and Mac's reconciliation, they bring home their surprise, miracle baby. Hetty's one of their first visitors.


Three days after their daughter's birth and a day after they brought her home, Harm and Mac had guests coming in and out - which they didn't mind (too much). They just couldn't wait for everything to settle down and get into a routine with Stella, to make the adjustment easier. They weren't shocked in the least when Hetty rang their doorbell that evening. "I decided a visit to meet your surprise guest was in order," she explained.

Mac snorted. "A surprise she was." She had been five months along before they even figured it out, not even imagining for a second that she could be pregnant. She was a surprise, miracle baby in every sense of the word.

"Best surprise of our life, though," chimed in Harm. He scooped the baby out of the bassinet and handed her to Hetty once she saw down.

"I suppose she is. So, you're Stella Rabb?" Hetty checked over the newborn and smiled in satisfaction once she finished. "Good work, you two."

"Thank you?" Harm had no idea what to do with it but he supposed it didn't matter.

"You're in the next chapter of your lives - again. How does it feel?" Hetty asked them. She had never lost faith in these two and was still thrilled they had reconciled.

"It's a lot of changes to happen to two people in a nine month time period but we're figuring it out." Mac still couldn't believe she had gotten pregnant - at her age! - the first time she and Harm had made love in nine years. They eloped just weeks after reconciling so a lot of big changes had been thrown at them at once. But they didn't matter that much - although life-changing, they were all good this time around. That's what they cared.

Hetty nodded her head in approval. "Good. This little one have a middle name?"

Mac smiled. "Her full name is Stella Penelope Rabb."

"Nice, strong name. Congratulations again." Hetty handed the baby back over to Mac. "Any other big changes your way?"

"We're not planning on it. Stella's fantastic and our last big change for a long time." Although Harm wouldn't mind getting a dog later on down the road. They had to adjust to Stella first, however.

"Understandable." Hetty talked to them both for about an hour and a half before she left the newly created family of three alone.

"You think we're done with visitors yet or are there more people coming?" Mac asked her husband as she set Stella back down in her bassinet.

"I think we're in the clear for now. Although, Bud and Harriet are flying in soon - without the kids - so we won't be safe for long."

"Harm!" she chided, laughing. They both couldn't wait to see their friends and catch up with them - they talked all the time but hadn't seen each other since the small reception held after the elopement. They had gotten an earful from Harriet for that - she wanted to be Mac's matron-of-honor, a job she expected for over a decade (like Hetty, she hadn't given up hope on Harm and Mac's reconciliation).

Harm wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "Can you believe we actually made her? She's half of you, half of me. And we're old as hell but damn, we still got it."

"I cannot believe you. The sentiment is sweet but still!" God, she loved this man, and living without him for nine years had been pretty miserable. Oh, she was happy but now she was even happier.

Their few minutes of peace and quiet was interrupted when Stella began to cry. "Duty calls," Harm murmured, a smile on his face.

All Stella needed was a diaper change so Mac took care of that quite easily and then returned her to the bassinet.

Harm and Mac hadn't expected this to happen at all, let alone at their ages, but they'd already die to protect Stella. They couldn't imagine a life without her now.

The next chapter of their lives was working out pretty well, and they couldn't wait to turn the pages to see what else was on tap for them. They'd forever be grateful to Hetty for bringing them together again, and they intended to ask her if she'd be Stella's godmother - she definitely deserved the job.

They wouldn't change the whirlwind that was the past nine months for anything.


End file.
